LANSING, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Boys & Girls Club of Lansing today announced the formal grand opening of the Jackson Teen Zone. This renovation and 4,680-square-foot expansion was funded by a gift from Jackson National Life Insurance Company® (Jackson®) and its associates.
The new space features a state-of-the-art Teen Center, conference room, storage area and teen welcome space. In addition to the indoor space, a 1,080-square-foot outdoor patio was created. The new Jackson Teen Zone allowed the Boys & Girls Club to repurpose the previous Teen Rooms into innovative tutoring and educational spaces.
“The Jackson Teen Zone delivers on the promise of an enhanced, customized environment for teens to learn and thrive,” said Carmen Turner, president of the Boys & Girls Club of Lansing. “When we provide teens with a place to discover who they are as individuals and where their talents might lie, we open up a world of possibilities. The support from Jackson and its associates made this a reality and we are so grateful for their partnership.”
Jackson initially donated $350,000, with the goal of donating the remaining $250,000 through associate contributions matched through the company’s two-to-one dollar donation match program.
“Because of our associates’ enthusiasm, support and generosity for this worthy cause, it took only two weeks for them to surpass the goal,” said James Sopha, president of Jackson. “We are donating a grand total of $683,000 to the Club. This project shows Jackson’s ability to really change lives and give back to the community in a powerful way.”
In addition to the Jackson Teen Zone, Jackson partners with the Boys & Girls Club through regular volunteer projects and participation on the Boys & Girls Club’s board of directors. Through the Jackson National Community Fund (JNCF), the company has invested more than $22 million in programs that improve the lives of youth and seniors since 2007. Jackson associates also volunteer more than 13,000 hours together annually supporting numerous community initiatives.
In April, the Central Michigan Public Relations Society of America (CMPRSA) awarded Jackson and the Boys & Girls Club of Lansing a PACE Award for their partnership on the Jackson Teen Zone. The award recognized the exemplary communications plan and public relations work used to inform and educate associates and the community about Jackson’s donation and the expansion at the Club.
The Boys & Girls Club of Lansing annually serves more than 5,200 at-risk youth, aged seven to 18. For more information, visit www.bgclansing.org.
About the Boys & Girls Club of Lansing
The Boys & Girls Club of Lansing is an affiliate of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the national organization that has developed effective youth programs for more than a century. It is a dedicated youth facility that employs full-time staff to ensure optimum safety and the implementation of structured youth development programs.
Structured activities include: Money Matters, Power Hour, Project LEARN, Keystone Club, SMART Moves, Junior Staff, Triple Play, GET City (math, science and engineering) and Presidential Fitness initiatives. The Boys & Girls Club of Lansing incorporates five core programs into its daily activities: character & leadership development, education & career development, health & life skills, arts & music, and sports & recreation. Our membership fee ($10 per child annually), along with the diversity of the activities the Club offers, attract a population of youth that many other youth serving organizations cannot reach.
The Boys & Girls Club is open when kids need it most, during the summer and after school, when they have too much free time and need a positive environment in which to learn and grow. The Boys & Girls Club’s youth development activities help prepare kids to become healthy and productive adults by supporting the development of attitudes, behaviors and skills that enable them to succeed in the classroom, in the workforce and in the world.
About Jackson
Jackson is a leading provider of retirement products for industry professionals and their clients. The company offers a diverse range of products including variable, fixed and fixed index annuities designed for tax-efficient accumulation and distribution of retirement income for retail customers, and fixed income products for institutional investors. Jackson subsidiaries and affiliates provide specialized asset management and retail brokerage services. Jackson prides itself on product innovation, sound corporate risk management practices and strategic technology initiatives. Focused on thought leadership and education, the company develops proprietary research, industry insights and financial representative training on retirement planning and alternative investment strategies. Jackson is also dedicated to corporate social responsibility and supports charities focused on helping children and seniors in the communities where its employees live and work. For more information, visit www.jackson.com.
Jackson is the marketing name for Jackson National Life Insurance Company (Home Office: Lansing, Michigan) and Jackson National Life Insurance Company of New York® (Home Office: Purchase, New York). Jackson National Life Distributors LLC.
PR2274 09/16
